02 August,2026 08:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Raj Thackeray referred to a letter written by eight trustees to Deputy CM Eknath Shinde while making his allegations. File Pic
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday supported Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's allegations regarding alleged irregularities in donations at Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple, claiming such incidents increased after the temple trust came under the control of people close to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, reported the PTI.
Raut alleged that the management of several temples across the country had come under the influence of the BJP and claimed that concerns over donation handling needed to be addressed.
Raj Thackeray had alleged that around Rs 18 crore in donations were being siphoned off annually from the Siddhivinayak Temple. He also claimed that large-scale financial irregularities had taken place at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, according to the PTI.
Supporting Thackeray's remarks, Sanjay Raut said the allegations raised serious questions and demanded greater transparency in the management of temple donations.
Raut alleged that incidents of donation theft at Siddhivinayak Temple had increased after the trust's management came under people associated with Eknath Shinde.
Sada Sarvankar, one of the 39 MLAs who shifted allegiance during Shinde's rebellion against the Shiv Sena leadership in 2022, currently serves as chairman of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, as per the PTI.
Raut also alleged that people associated with the BJP were involved in alleged irregularities linked to donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
He claimed that while some smaller individuals had faced action, bigger players had escaped scrutiny. These allegations have not been established by any official investigation, the news agency reported.
Raj Thackeray had referred to a letter written by eight trustees to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde while making his allegations.
He claimed that some employees involved in stealing money from donation boxes at Siddhivinayak Temple were caught due to the vigilance of trustees.
During his interaction with reporters, Raut also said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis could become a good education minister for the country, the news agency reported.
He added that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a similar view.
(with PTI inputs)
